Toy balloon.



T. W. MILLER.

TOY BALLOON.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25| 19l6.

1,21 1,369. Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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TED grams PATENT ora ion,

THOMAS W. MILLER, OF ASHLAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FAUL'ILESS RUBBERCOMPANY, OF ASHLAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TOY BALLOON.

Application filed August 25, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS W. MILLER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county ofAshland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Toy Balloons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to toy balloons, more particularly of that typedisclosed in an application filed by me February 19, 1916, Serial No.79,410, wherein means are provided for restricting the expansion of theballoon at a given point as the same is being inflated, and has for itsobject to provide certain improvements in said construction, whereby therestricting means also will operate a closure member for preventing theescape of air from the inflated balloon. This object I accomplish in themanner and by the means hereinafter more specifically described andclaimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a toy balloon equipped with myimprovement, the same being shown deflated. Fig. 2 is a side elevationthereof when in inflated condition, the inflating stem and its plug andthe point of connection for the restricting means being shown insection.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the twoviews.

In the said drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes an ordinary rubbertoy balloon, having the usual neck 2 in which is disposed a mouth pieceor stem 3 of wood or other suitable material, said stem being aperturedlongitudinally at 4 to permit the passage of air therethrough. At theouter end of said stem 3 the aperture 4 therein is flared at 5 toreceive a tapered plug 6, preferably of rubber, whereby when said plugis seated the escape of air from the balloon will be prevented. Thisplug is connected with a string or cord 7 which is passed centrallythrough said plug and knotted at its outer end, said string passingthrough the central aperture 4 in the stem 3 and into the interior ofthe balloon to any desired point. As shown, it is wrapped several timesaround a portion of the body of the balloon at 8, said portion havinginclosed therein a filler piece in the form of a ball 9 of wood or othersuitable material, the wrapping 8 completely inclosing said ball in thematerial of the body of the balloon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

; Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

Serial No. 116,787.

In operation, when the balloon is inflated the portion surrounding theball 9 will inflate equally with the rest until the cord 7 becomes taut.If said cord is inextensible and is restrained from moving through thestem 3 in any manner, the expansion of the balloon at that point willstop completely,

but if said cord is slightly elastic, said explug being maintainedfirmly in place by the tension on the cord 7.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the balloon distended sufliciently to cause thecord 7 to exert sufficient pull on the plug 6 to cause the latter toseat in theend of stem 3, but with out practically any distortion of theballoon.

body due to said cord. It will be obvious,

however, that upon further expansion of the balloon, the cord 7 willexert its restrictive effect upon that portion of the balloonsurrounding the ball 9, with the result that the balloon will berestricted at that point and will be distorted correspondingly, ascontemplated in my prior application hereinbefore referred to. In thisway, the cord 7 may be employed simply to seat the plug 6 automaticallywithout distortion of the balloon, or may perform the double function ofseating said plug and of distorting the contour of the-balloon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elastically expansible balloon, means for inflating andexpanding the same, and means operated automatically by the balloon bodyas it is expanded for closing the inflating orifice.

2. In an elastically expansible balloon, means for inflating andexpanding the same, a plug for closing the inflating orifice, and meansoperated by the balloon body as it is expanded for automatically seatingsaid plug in its closing position.

3. In, an elastically expansible balloon, means for inflating andexpanding the same, a plug for closing the inflating orifice, and astring attached to said plug and passed into said balloon and attachedto the interior thereof for automatically seating said plug in itsclosing position When the balloon is expanded. V

4. In an elastically expansible balloon,

means for inflating and expanding the same, a plug for closing thelnflatlng orifice, and a string attached to said plug and passed intoGopi es of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of ?atentr..

Washington, I). C.

